Switch-operating mechanism.



No. 739,749. PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

Z. L. TRAINHAM & H. E. EASTlSlL/LN. Y

SWITCH OPERATING MEGHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED PR. 16. k.1.903.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES v Patented September 22, 1903. l'

PATENT f OFFICE.

ZACHARIAl-l L. TRAINI-IAM AND HARRY E. EASTMAN, OF RICHMOND,

' VIRGINIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING M ECHANiSiVI.

SEECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 739,749, dated September 22, 1903. Application liled April 16, 1903. `Serial No. 152,975. (No model.)

To all whom, t Wray concern:

Be it known that we, ZACHAEIAH L. TRAIN- HAM and HARRY E. EAsTMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented new and` useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specication; y

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in switch-operating mechanism especially adapt-ed' for use upon street railways; and its object is to provide mech? anism of simple construction which can be readily operated by the motorman or any other person upon the car without lessening the speed of the car.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in providingapivoted disk having a curved slot therein, within which is mounted the end of a link connected to a bell-crank lever, one arm of which projects above the road-bed and is adapted to' be contacted and depressed by suitable mechanism arranged upon a car. The tongue of the switch has a laterally-extending arm projecting from its pivot, and rods connect this arm with the disk, so that when the disk is moved in either direction the arm will beV moved therewith, thereby shit ting the tongue.

The invention also consists in the further novel construction and combination of part-s hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of our invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through our improved switch-operating mechanism; and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, the casing being shown in section.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a casing of suitable construction, within the top 2 of which is fulcruined a bellcrank lever 3. The upper arm 4 of this lever forms a blade, which extends upward through a slot 5 in the top 2. The remaining arm of the lever is loosely connected to a link having'a forked end 7, within which is journaled a roller 8. This roller is adapted to travel within the curved slot 9, formed within a disk 10, which is fulcrumed upon a pin 11, arranged within the casing. Aspri11g12 is connected at opposite ends to the lower arm of the bell-crank lever and to the bottom of casing 1 at a point adjacent to pin 11. The switch-tongue 13 has an arm 1 4, which extends laterally from its fulcrum' 15, and this arm projects through a slot 16 in the side of casing l.. and its inner end is connected, by means of a rod 17, with the disk 10 at one side of the'fulcrum thereof. A lever 18 is fulcrnmed within casing 1 at a point adjacentto the arm 14, and one end of this lever is connected to arm 14 at a point adjacent rod 17 by a rod 19, and another rod 20 connects the other end of lever 18 with the disk 10 at the side of its fulcrum opposite to that to which' the rod 17 is secured.

In order to operate this mechanism, the car approaching the switch is preferably provided with a lever 21, having an arm 22 extending upward therefrom through the platform and provided with a dat plate 23. A spring 24 holds the lever normally raised, and a roller 25 is journaled in the lower end of the lever. When the car approaches the switch, the lever 21 is depressed, as shown in Fig. 1, and brought into contact with the blade 4 of the bell-crank lever and ,causes said blade to move downward into the slot 5. This movement of the blade will swing the other arm of the bell-crank lever so as to draw thelink 6 in a direction away from disk 10, and this disk will be partly rotated thereby and spring 12 extended. .The rods 17 and 2O will be moved in opposite directions, and arm 14 will be so moved as to swing the tongue 13 in the desired direction. As soon as the roller 25 leaves the blade 4 the spring 12 will com# plete the movement of the roller 8 within the slot and will hold the disk 10 in the position illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 2. When it is desired to move the switch-tongue in the other direction, the operation above described is repeated. By providing the second lever 18 wit-hin casing 1 a pull is always exerted do not limit ourselves thereto, as we are aware that modications may be made therein withont departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and we therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of our invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In switch-operating mechanism 0f the character described, the combination with a pivoted disk having a slot therein; of a bellcrank lever, one arm of which is adapted to be depressed by suitable mechanism uponv a car, a crank connected to the other arm of the lever, a forked end thereto, a roller journaled Within said end and adapted to travel Within the slot, a spring connected to the bell-crank lever, a pivoted tongue, an arm extending laterally from the fulcrum thereof, a lever, rods connecting the disk and lever with the arm, and a rod connecting the lever With the disk.

2. In switch-operating mechanism of the character described, the combination with a casing; of a disk pivoted therein and having a slot, a bell-crank lever fulcrnmed within and extending above the casing, a link connected to the lever and having a forked end, a roller j ournaled within said end and adapted to travel within the slot, a spring connecting the lever with the casing, a pivoted switchtongue, an arm extending laterally from the fulcrum thereof, a lever centrally fulcrumed Within the casing, rods connecting the disk and lever with the arm, and a rod connecting the disk andv lever.

3. In switch-operating mechanism of the character described, the combination with a casing having a pivoted disk therein, and means for partly rotating said disk in either direction; of a pivoted switch-tongue, an arm extending from the fulcrum thereof, a lever fulcrumed in the casing, rods connecting the disk and lever with the arm, and a rod connecting said lever and the disk.

In testimony whereof we aihx our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ZACHARIA'l-I L. TRAINHAM. HARRY E. EASTMAN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT G. ANTHONY, JOSEPH H. MALLORY. 

